Between 1972 and June 1983, 21 children (mean age 9 years, range 20 months to 16.5
years) were operated on for pulmonary metastatic disease. Primary malignant tumors
were Wilmstumor (7 patients), osteogenic sarcoma (7 patients), Ewing's sarcoma (4
patients), hepatoblastoma (2 patients), and rhabdomyosarcoma (1 patient). The surgical
intervention was part of a therapeutic pediatric oncological concept with curative
purpose including chemotherapy and/or radiation in different combinations. Ten out
of these 21 children survived disease-free 3 years and more after pulmonary metastasectomy.
An aggressive surgical approach towards pulmonary metastatic disease in children thus
appears to be justified.
Pediatric oncology - Pulmonary metastases - Surgical resection
